Adrian Peterson’s Trial Slated For December 1

Suspended indefinitely by his team while facing charges of child abuse in Texas, Minnesota Vikings star running back Adrian Peterson announced yesterday (Tues, October 7, 2014) that he would be entering a plea of not guilty.

He did so earlier today (Wed., October 8, 2014), and his lawyer Rusty Hardin confirmed that the case would be tried beginning on December 1. NFL insider Albert Breer reported on the scene, noting that Peterson wants to publicly address the situation but has been advised to be patient:

Rusty Hardin said the Peterson case is on the docket for Dec. 1. “Adrian is chomping at the bit to publicly talk.” Has been advised not to.

Peterson and his legal team could be hoping to be found not guilty of the charges, which could potentially open up an avenue for the elite back to play this season. However, he could be facing a lengthy disciplinary suspension from the league itself, which has come under intense scrutiny for its handling of the recent Ray Rice domestic violence scandal.

But if Peterson were to be found not guilty of the charges, that would create an incredibly thin line on what the NFL could and could not punish him for if the court decided not to punish him.

That would put the NFL in yet another unfortunate and messy situation where letting Peterson off scot-free would almost definitely cause another massive public outcry, further sullying the NFL’s name in a time when popularity was at an all-time high.

Obviously the end result of the whole scenario is going to hinge on the outcome of the trial, but no matter what happens, Peterson has most likely played his last game as a Minnesota Viking.

As for the trial, well, he already admitted to committing all of the crimes he’s been accused of, so it would seem like an open-and-shut case. It will all come down to how acceptable a jury of Peterson’s peers find his discipline or abuse, depending on their points of view.

With scandals finally starting to die down as the focus had returned to football, the Adrian Peterson saga keeps chugging along with no end in sight.

Both an avid NFL fan and analyst, I’ve been following professional football since the late 1980s. I’m also an avid fantasy football player with several league victories under my belt. Check out my NFL articles on TSM for the latest NFL news, highlights, predictions, and more.